I've had a 'crisis of atheism'

[crossfire]

Hello everyone, sorry I haven't been on for almost a month. I've been really busy, but I want to share this with all of you. I've been feeling increasingly hopeless about life in general over the past weeks. That's not to say I was unhappy or life felt like it had no point, just that I started to realize atheism doesn't give me everything I need. It was during this 'crisis' of sorts that I realized I as a westerner have always admired the Greek mythos and the Olympians. Since I'm a philosophical Taoist, I know that preference can be cultural, and its still alright, because its part of the bigger whole. I still accept the Tao as the ground of things, but I can't call myself an atheist anymore. I decided I need to feel like there is 'something', something bigger to it all, and I need to feel like my doing good really matters. I can admit this is something I 'need'. Its probably largely emotional. I can't be a monotheist because I still don't want a worldview that says 'here is all the answers'. I wouldn't be any kind of skeptic if I wanted that. Therefore, I've decided I am going to be a polytheist. I don't know if its alright to believe in gods solely because you need 'something', and you really want the gods to be real- I've always loved the Greek gods. I've decided personally it is alright, and I'm trying to decide if Zeus or Athena will be my patron deity, so that's it really. Thanks for reading guys. I'll be around again.

It's ok to suspend disbelief. I would say that the ability to do so is the mark of a true skeptic--the ability to clear out personal biases in order to see clearly in your investigations. There is no need to feel guilty about suspending disbelief.
I hope that your investigations are fruitful!

 

[ArtieE]

it was the literal creation of all time/space matter/energy as we can possibly know it.

No it wasn't. The Big Bang theory says nothing about anything being created.

 

[psychoslice]

If you need something, then you will cling to whatever is there at that moment in your life, be that religion or whatever.

 

[ArtieE]

but on default- I certainly wasn't born believing in the Big Crunch or steady state or multiverses, or any other atheist materialistic/naturalistic origins for the universe.

The Big Bang theory IS a naturalistic theory. It's not necessary to believe in a god or creation to believe in the Big Bang theory.

 

[Quintessence]

If you're exploring Hellenic Paganism, and if you like graphic novels, I would highly recommend George O'Conner's series here. While the Greek gods are routinely butchered by popular culture, this series it not only respectful, but incredibly inspired. I don't know if the writer is a Hellenic himself, but he darned well might as well be with how he brings the tales of these gods up to date in a visual format. You might be able to find the books at your local public library (that's where I was introduced to the series), and if they don't have them in, an ILL should be doable for these.

 

[Jumi]

@paarsurrey This is a bad translation of Lao Tze.

 

[paarsurrey]

@paarsurrey This is a bad translation of Lao Tze.

What is bad about it? Please
Regards

 

[Jumi]

Well it's not a translation, that's whats bad about it. There is no He or She when talking about the Tao. If you translated this back to Chinese it would be a new text, not the Lao Tze.

Here is a translation, with Chinese text:
http://ctext.org/dao-de-jing

The Dao is (like) the emptiness of a vessel; and in our employment of it we must be on our guard against all fulness. How deep and unfathomable it is, as if it were the Honoured Ancestor of all things! We should blunt our sharp points, and unravel the complications of things; we should attemper our brightness, and bring ourselves into agreement with the obscurity of others. How pure and still the Dao is, as if it would ever so continue! I do not know whose son it is. It might appear to have been before God.

 

[paarsurrey]

Well it's not a translation, that's whats bad about it. There is no He or She when talking about the Tao. If you translated this back to Chinese it would be a new text, not the Lao Tze.
Here is a translation, with Chinese text:
http://ctext.org/dao-de-jing

Thanks and regards

 

[Geoff-Allen]

Interresting thread!

If you need something, try meditation - I prefer to meditate on compassion for all beings including myself.

I find it nearly always brings peace of mind. When I forget 2 practice, things can go downhill very fast!

Hope you find your "answers".

All the best!

 

[Twilight Hue]

Well as the adage goes...

"Only one way to find out..."